Chelsea were right to offer John Terry a contract extension

Keeping John Terry at Chelsea for as long as possible is of paramount importance as he brings a tremendous amount of experience and leadership on and off the pitch, which could prove to be far more important than bringing in talented new players.

Fans expressed their discontent at the the club's earlier decision to snub a contract extension for the club captain, protesting with banners during Chelsea's 1-1 draw at Anfield on May 11.

However, after months of speculation and rumors, Chelsea finally offered Terry a one-year contract extension, which the club captain has willingly signed.

"Everyone knows I’m Chelsea through and through. I am looking forward to next season under the new manager and hopefully we can make it a successful one. Also, a special mention to the fans for their continued support. You’re the best in the world."

It is understood that John Terry might have a reduced role in terms of playing time next season, but his presence in the dressing room as well as on the sidelines, would surely provide an extra boost to the players.

Despite being at the twilight end of his career, the 35-year-old defender might still have a lot to offer to Chelsea as a player and later in a managerial role.

At Chelsea, Terry is more than just a player and there are several reasons for keeping him at the club, even if it means spending majority of the time on the bench.

Committed to Chelsea

According to the Daily Mail, the Blues captain has agreed to incur a £90,000-per-week wage drop as part of the contract extension, in order to prolong his stay at the club.

Terry will have to settle for a wage of £50,000-per-week during 2016/2017, far lesser than his £150,000-per-week salary during the previous season.

Taking the pay cut into consideration, it is hard to argue against Terry's commitment to the club, a team he's been at since the age of just 14.

Having a player of such loyalty at a club is rare, and understandably very few examples come to mind. Players such as Ryan Giggs, Francesco Totti and Paolo Maldini spent their entire illustrious careers at just one club; Manchester United, AS Roma and AC Milan respectively.

Terry has repeatedly expressed his desire to follow a similar example and would do anything to help the club succeed.

Played every season under Roman Abramovich

Not only is the 35-year-old the only player to have played each and every season with Roman Abramovich as club owner, but also the only player to have won all the trophies with the Russian oil tycoon in charge.

Except the 2003/2004 season, when Marcel Desailly was the club captain, John Terry has always been in charge of the armband during the Abramovich era.

Terry knows the club, as well as the league, inside out and has played at the very top level for more than a decade.

If the club had decided to not offer Terry an extension, his abrupt absence next season could have created a gaping hole in the team which could take several years to fill.

Helping Antonio Conte and new players settle

With Antonio Conte set to take over managerial duties at the club in August, a new era is set to usher in at Stamford Bridge, especially after finishing tenth in the table and setting an unwanted record of the worst title defense in Premier League history.

Terry's expertise and presence could be key in helping Conte to understand his duties better and the complexity of the task that faces the Italian manager.

Drastic personnel changes are being planned at the club with rumors linking the Blues to a plethora of players from the Serie A, where Conte lead Juventus to consecutive league titles.

As incoming players learn to play with the existing players, the Chelsea captain could be crucial in providing a strong back-four as well as promoting chemistry in the dressing room.

The presence of Terry will help in this transition as the skipper will be able to create some stability at the club in the midst of these changes.

Getting Chelsea back into title contention

No-one would want to see Chelsea get back to the summit of the Premier League more than Terry.

Having gone through the worst Chelsea season of the past decade, the former England international will be eager to get back to winning ways and he is the ideal man to help Chelsea regain their former glory.

During his time at Chelsea, Terry has won four Premier League titles in addition to four FA Cups and three League Cups. He has also won both the Champions League and the Europa League with the club.

Therefore, he has enough experience to understand what it takes to win a title as well as the pressure and hard work that accompanies it.

Still a great defender

Apart from the great leadership skills and experience Terry brings to the table, the 35-year-old is still one of the best defenders at the club, if not, the best.

Despite having served the Blues well over the years, Gary Cahill has been rather shaky in defense during the past season, and with Kurt Zouma sidelined with a long term knee injury, Terry is arguably the best option at centre-back.

He was Chelsea's best central defender during the course of the previous campaign and the team played with confidence whenever the skipper commanded the back-four.

Conte is believed to be looking for potential center-backs to solve Chelsea's defensive crisis, with Roma's Kostas Manolas and Leonardo Bonucci of Juventus the top priorities, which would push the Chelsea veteran down the pecking order.

However, Terry plays with great vigor and gives his all during games. Despite losing some of his pace, the skipper is able to put in crucial tackles and make important interceptions.

As mentioned earlier, Terry is set to occupy a lesser playing role next season, but could be used as a secret weapon if required, much like how Didier Drogba was used during Chelsea's 2014/2015 title winning season.

Have Chelsea made the right decision by offering John Terry a new 12-month deal? Have YOUR say in the comment section below!

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